Week 92 ~ I'm Back

Hello everyone. Sorry for not writing for a long time, I'm not trunky, just busy. My last transfer is here. 6 Weeks left, and I can hardly believe it. As a missionary, (for me at least) when I started I wanted the days to go by fast, so I could pile up experience and just get fully into the mission. Now that I only have less than 50 days, I want the days to go slow. So I can fully enjoy the blessings I get to see from being a missionary. 

Miracle minute: 

There's been this kid we've wanted to visit because he is a part member and he is always coming to church. On a random Tuesday night the lord redirected us to his house (Our other appointments fell through, people were busy or something). We entered the house and I've been there maybe 1 time, but I've never been inside their house. After entering the boy came in and sat down next to us, alongside his grandmother who is a member. We then explained to the grandmother that we desire to help her kid enter into the waters of baptism. What proceeded was the most awkward moment of my mission and most filipino thing ever, but it's a miracle. Alright hold on to your seats....

After telling the Grandmother about baptism, she nods her head then says, "wait lang elder''. She then screams across the house a name I don't yet know, but I assumed it was the boy's father. Me and my companion quickly made eye contact and bowed our heads. I said to myself, ''It's in God's hands now''. The boy's father comes out of the room kind of half asleep, with his cell phone playing music or facebook. The grandmother's first words were this: ''The elders want to baptize your kid, are you okay with that?'' 

Few moments in my mission have ever made me want to fake like I have to use the bathroom, but this was one of those moments. I took a deep breath and prayed everythings going to be alright. After the grandma had said these things, The boy's father looked at us for what felt like an eternity. He then was like, Yeah it's okay. Then the Grandmother proceeded to explain how he should've been baptized, but now we need to teach him. She told him that baptism is a choice that we have to make. The man then says, ''okay'' then says, ''you can teach my kid, son, listen to them'' then the boy's father walked away. I breathed a sigh of relief because let me break something down for you:

A lot of times with kids who haven't been baptized here but have one member who is a parent, it's really difficult to get permission. Especially if you had never talked to the tatay before. Most Tatay's here want to preserve their cultural habits IE: Smoking, Drinking, so they refuse to listen to us. Drinking is a staple of Filipino culture, because that's what you do here with your friends, so it's been hard with the word of wisdom. But this tatay felt impressed to give us permission. I know in that pause he felt the same holy ghost I did. When he looked at us, he was examining our character, who we are, and who we represent. I know that it's true, and that the Lord wants all of his children to return to him. That kid is going to get baptized next month, because of the miracle the Lord gave to him, and to us. 

Have a great week,

Elder Spackman